Zag question
- Thread starter JesseJ
- Start date
Back in 2009 I started a thread discussing low ball tactics by zag dealers. link
Here's a quote from that thread "ZAG is a disgrace to the car business, and that is saying something given the reputation we all are burdened with! They claim to be the pinnacle of honesty and disclosure but they let their dealers get away with flagrantly ignoring their rules.
In my area and with my brand, the problem I have is dealers including rebates and incentives in their ZAG pricing. Well, you're not supposed to do that, so if you do your price suddenly looks up to $3-4k lower than your competition. I've called to complain about that, explained exactly what the other dealers are doing, and given them the math showing that the other dealers could not POSSIBLY be selling the cars for that price (I don't care how desperate you are, a $3k net net loser? come on!) and ZAG has blown me off. The answer I have gotten is "Well, no members have complained about this happening." No shit. Of course they're not going to complain after they've already bought the car. Wouldn't you feel like a total idiot after being bumped for $3k from some stupid low ball price? I would..."
ZAG is just another example of one of those companies that WE GIVE MONEY so that they can help customers PAY US LESS. How does this business model make sense?
And so, my ZAG prices take into account that I'm going to have to pay them $300 and I have a reasonable margin built in. If customers want to go fight with other dealerships who straight up lie to them, more power to them. I don't do business like that.
Here's a quote from that thread "ZAG is a disgrace to the car business, and that is saying something given the reputation we all are burdened with! They claim to be the pinnacle of honesty and disclosure but they let their dealers get away with flagrantly ignoring their rules.
In my area and with my brand, the problem I have is dealers including rebates and incentives in their ZAG pricing. Well, you're not supposed to do that, so if you do your price suddenly looks up to $3-4k lower than your competition. I've called to complain about that, explained exactly what the other dealers are doing, and given them the math showing that the other dealers could not POSSIBLY be selling the cars for that price (I don't care how desperate you are, a $3k net net loser? come on!) and ZAG has blown me off. The answer I have gotten is "Well, no members have complained about this happening." No shit. Of course they're not going to complain after they've already bought the car. Wouldn't you feel like a total idiot after being bumped for $3k from some stupid low ball price? I would..."
ZAG is just another example of one of those companies that WE GIVE MONEY so that they can help customers PAY US LESS. How does this business model make sense?
And so, my ZAG prices take into account that I'm going to have to pay them $300 and I have a reasonable margin built in. If customers want to go fight with other dealerships who straight up lie to them, more power to them. I don't do business like that.
- Jun 20, 2009
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- Muller
I wish Toyota had the same rule. I was competing dealers advertising $1,000 below invoice on every model. No fun...
- May 1, 2006
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- Alex
Interesting. I hadn't heard of this change in policy. We weren't a Zag customer when I was at Checkered Flag and I have been out for longer than 7 months, so it isn't a surprise I haven't heard this.
Alex, don't I recall that you love Zag?
Oh yeah Eley - I'm a huge fan
Honda has always had a policy of not allowing dealers to quote below invoice. Honda started to police the Zag situation about 9 months ago. There are honda dealers using zag and sending quotes, but there is a risk. It is a risk we are not going to take. Not sending a automated quote has not hurt our zag sales.
- May 1, 2005
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- Jeff
I'm not an advocate for Zag and I recommend all dealers take a good hard look at their ROI and overall performance with Zag. From my experience, the only leads worth "working" are the USAA leads.
Can you take the money you spend with Zag, place it into paid search and re-marketing and produce better results by driving more potential customers to and back to your dealer website?
A lot of time and resources can be spent on under performing Zag leads. Ask yourself, could you place your time and resources working more qualified, higher ROI leads?
Side note: I'd recommend NOT giving Zag your transactional data while your at it. Unless you don't mind companies using your dealers data against you for consumer pricing tools. If you're cool with that - continue on. It's most likely the evolution of our business anyways.
Can you take the money you spend with Zag, place it into paid search and re-marketing and produce better results by driving more potential customers to and back to your dealer website?
A lot of time and resources can be spent on under performing Zag leads. Ask yourself, could you place your time and resources working more qualified, higher ROI leads?
Side note: I'd recommend NOT giving Zag your transactional data while your at it. Unless you don't mind companies using your dealers data against you for consumer pricing tools. If you're cool with that - continue on. It's most likely the evolution of our business anyways.
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This is the issue we run into. It doesn't seem to promote great business to draw customers in the door by lying to them. We have a margin built in as well. I suppose more people in the door does ultimately lead to more sales but it's going to be anything but hassle-free.
- Feb 19, 2010
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- Bruce
There has to be an simple way to word your way around that... then again if it is working without having to do that... even better.
- Nov 30, 2009
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- Marc
Jesse - when the customer buys the exact vehicle we quoted them - yes. But as you and I both know - most times the customer ends up changing vehicles. I will honor anything I put out there and many times customers do buy exactly what ZAG has quoted them. What does erk me about ZAG is that the customers can build a vehicle that doesn't exist - meaning their system doesn't recognize restrictions and buildouts on certain vehicles so the customer can add so many options they don't realize what they are doing.
I use 100% integrity in all of our pricing - no games. No gimmicks. But I am extremely aggressive b/c I have to be (major metro area). My pricing stucture gets my foot in the door...then I woo them with personality! HA!
In our group we are eliminating any lead vendor who requires access to our DMS in order to send us leads. Just doesn't make sense to pay a company who then takes your sales data to use against you.
As an industry we have to stand against these tactics. Jeff hit the nail on the head in another post. If you need the traffic, redirect those funds elsewhere. I put these leads at the bottom of the barrel. If I have to buy from these compnies I doing something very wrong.
BTW, who audits companies like TrueCar that they're not actually jockeying the numbers?
As an industry we have to stand against these tactics. Jeff hit the nail on the head in another post. If you need the traffic, redirect those funds elsewhere. I put these leads at the bottom of the barrel. If I have to buy from these compnies I doing something very wrong.
BTW, who audits companies like TrueCar that they're not actually jockeying the numbers?
